Disneyland Might Be Reconsidering Its New AVATAR Land Plans and ZOOTOPIA Could Take Its Place
If you’ve ever stepped into Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you know how insanely immersive that world is. The floating mountains, glowing forests, and overall vibe of Avatar make it one of Disney’s coolest theme park experiences.
So when Disney revealed plans to bring a second Avatar-themed land to Disney California Adventure, it made total sense. Now… things might be changing.
A new report suggests Disney could be rethinking that expansion following the performance of Avatar: Fire and Ash. While the film pulled in nearly $1.5 billion globally, that number apparently isn’t enough to confidently push forward with multiple sequels and a major theme park investment.
This whole situation ties into a bigger question about the long-term strength of the Avatar franchise. Even James Cameron has acknowledged how expensive these films are to make. If they don’t hit massive expectations, the return gets a little more complicated. That uncertainty seems to be spilling over into Disney’s park plans.
One of the biggest clues comes from the existing Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! attraction. The ride was originally set to close in early 2026 to make room for the new Avatar land. That closure has now been pushed to 2027. That kind of delay usually means something bigger is shifting behind the scenes.
As former Imagineer Jim Shull explained: “Disney doesn’t do anything without a reason. The reality is that Avatar 3 did okay, but as a cultural force, it’s exhausted. Nobody is demanding to see more.
“They like what they have, and if they really like it, they can go to Florida and see it. California does not have a lot of land. If Avatar had been a huge success and people were demanding 4 and 5 and beyond, that would change the equation. But there’s not a lot of demand.”
So what replaces Avatar if it doesn’t move forward? Right now, all signs are pointing toward Zootopia. The sequel reportedly crushed expectations and ended up outperforming Fire and Ash by a wide margin globally.
That kind of success makes it a much safer bet for Disney, especially when it comes to building out new park attractions. Shull even added:
“Zootopia 2 exceeded expectations in terms of money and laid the groundwork for more Zootopia. If I were [Disney CEO] Josh D’Amaro, in the seat, looking at the stock, I know that I could go to the board and say, ‘I’ve changed my mind for the stronger property,’ and there would be no pushback.”
Shanghai Disneyland already has a Zootopia-themed land, and fans love it. The attractions there use a similar ride system to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, which is easier to maintain compared to the complex water-based ride system that an Avatar land would likely require. Less cost, less maintenance, and a hotter IP right now… that’s a strong combo.
At this point, Disney hasn’t officially confirmed anything, and The Wrap notes that the situation is still evolving. Still, reading between the lines, it feels like Disney is doing what it always does… adjusting to what’s working right now.
So the big question is: would you rather explore more of Pandora on the West Coast, or jump into a whole new Zootopia land?
Source: The Wrap